Rumour – Apple working on new iTunes mobile phone

According to a [report on CNET](http://news.com.com/2061-11516_3-6071895.html) via Reuters, Apple and Japanese telecom giant Softbank may be developing a new mobile phone that can download songs from iTunes.

Whilst Motorola put out the first phone with iTunes last year, the phones couldn’t download songs over the air.

The Apple-Softbank phone would do just that [apparently](http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060512/tc_nm/telecoms_apple_softbank_dc;_ylt=Ap48RdzGNYdjGPGbMWOL.5hT.3QA;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA–).

> Wireless networks in Japan are [extremely fast](http://news.com.com/Mobile+browsing+becoming+mainstream/2100-1039_3-6062365.html) and allow people to use their cell phones for a variety of things, such as buying food and gear from Japan’s ubiquitous vending machines.

Their “cost of use” is, ofcourse, much lower than Australia where we pay higher than most countries in the world for our Internet access. Making use of Internet-based services prohibitively expensive for the majority of people.

Whether this is the much rumoured iPhone, no-one will say.

> Many people, including Motorola CEO Ed Zander, think Apple will eventually release its own mobile-phone design, but thus far it has been content to partner with companies like Motorola and dominate the portable digital music market with the iPod.